Today's recipe for success, boys and girls:

Add - 1 part SURVIVOR
          1 part JOURNEY
          A healthy portion of STYX/ Dennis DeYoung
          & just a dash of TOTO
          Mix vigorously and the end result will be your very own
          PRIDE OF LIONS!!!

It's been over five years since the last release from PRIDE OF LIONS... the brain child of ex-SURVIVOR lead guitarist and song-writer Jim Peterik. Teamed up with the colossal vocals of Toby Hitchcock, this fearsome-twosome have produced some of the best AOR/ Melodic Rock albums from the last decade and their latest release "Immortal" is no different. This is just a brilliant release all-around and only adds another feather to the talented, creative and seasoned cap of Peterik who continues to do some of his best work while paired up with Hitchcock.

The CD begins in almost epic proportion with the up-tempo title track "Immortal." Peterik's baritone vocals capture the verse with style but when Hitchcock chimes in it comfortably lifts the song to a whole new level as the bridge leads into a thick, rich melodic chorus and as the song progresses, the pair begin to overlap each other more and more blending into each other with sheer perfection creating chorus' and harmonies which are simply breathtaking.

The first video and single from the release "Delusional" continues on in the same anthem-like vein and offers another potent and positive message. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of music like this out there nowadays. Just true, positive, uplifting and inspirational lyrics combined with strong, creative and innovative arrangements. THIS, my friends, is what song-writing is all about... being able communicate strong messages and directing those out in a ratifying way actually reaching people and contributing something meaningful to the world. Only Peterik could take a word that most people would consider demeaning or insulting and turn it into something affirmative and I absolutely love, love, LOVE the video for this which can be viewed here.

The mid-tempo "Tie Down The Wind" begins with some sweet guitar leads which roll smoothly into a keyboard-driven underlying melody complimented by another commendable, harmony-filled chorus. Then talk about your anthems! "Shine On" is just a perfect, perfect melodic rock masterpiece featuring a beautiful vocal introduction by Hitchcock accompanied only by a soft keyboard melody but when this song kicks in, it will blow your socks off with a strong, dynamic chorus reminding me a little bit of what STYX was able to accomplish with "The Best Of Times."

This leads into the more laid-back "Everything That Money Can't Buy"... a convincing power-ballad and nice change of pace for the release before the moodier and a bit mystical "Coin of the Realm" steps it up a notch. I can almost imagine the unmistakable voice of Jimi Jamison singing on this one as it really seems to capture that trademark Peterik style from his days in SURVIVOR. And if you listen close enough, you can almost hear that "chugga chugga chugga chugga" guitar riff which drove "Eye of The Tiger" to its heights of immortality.

"Sending My Love" actually gives me chills. If I didn't know any better, I would swear to God that somehow Dennis DeYoung possessed Toby Hitchcock as he delivers this one with all the expression, emotion and articulation of DeYoung at his best. Terrific track which, again... much like classic STYX, is able to perfectly meld a melodic rock melody with some theatrical flair. Very nice piece indeed and something that is not easily accomplished without crossing that very thin theatrical rock/ show tune line. I always thought that Hitchcock had a little bit of that Dennis DeYoung manner about him but I have never heard him like this!

Now here's another blast from the past... do the words "Vital Signs" mean anything to all you  Peterik enthusiasts out there? Yes indeed... this has actually been a "work-in-progress" ever since the SURVIVOR album of the same name but was never quite finished until now. Obviously, it has an overall feel of a classic SURVIVOR track only a bit more up to date as Peterik and Hitchcock trade off leads on this up-tempo rocker. Then "If It Doesn't Kill Me" is another impressive and dramatic arrangement with flashes of that old SURVIVOR groove and some very stirring guitar fills by Peterik.

Now as I mentioned before, there is a "very fine line" between a song having that "theatrical/ rock" feel to it or it turning into a "show tune"... "Are You The Same Girl" DEFINITELY crosses that line. It tries very hard to be a standard ballad but the HUGE vocals of Hitchcock united with an orchestral-driven chorus make me feel like I should be sitting in some dark, cramped Broadway theater, "Showbill" in hand waiting for the "Phantom of The Opera" to emerge stage left! This is the only track on the release keeping it from being a perfect 5 out of 5 and while Hitchcock's vocals are BIG and he delivers the song with emotion and passion, it's just a little bit over the top for my taste and seems to throw off the flow of the CD in general. Listen to this one too many times and you'll find you'll have a new appreciation for Barbara Streisand, your windows adorned with some fabulous window treatments and wonder how a pair of pink-paisley spandex slacks found their way into your wardrobe... NOT that there's anything wrong with that... And finally the CD comes to a close with the energetic "Ask Me Yesterday."

"Immortal" is yet another triumph in the long line of success' from PRIDE OF LIONS. The song-writing, arrangements and over-all production of "most" of the release are second-to-none and while I did find one minor stumbling block, as a whole you'll be hard pressed to find a better AOR/ Melodic Rock duo out there than Peterik and Hitchcock. It's such a shame that these guys don't get out there and actually play more often as I would absolutely kill to see these guys up on stage together once again as I had the opportunity to a few years back. This lion's ROAR needs and deserves to be heard.